The present invention relates to a control device for operating electronic equipment including a digital image forming apparatus capable of various operation modes such as a printer mode, a copying mode and a facsimile mode, for example.
In recent years, various kinds of electronic equipment have been digitized, which triggered the development of multi-function electronic devices. For example, a digital image forming apparatus is an example of the electronic devices, which has not only a usual print mode (printer function) but also a copying mode and facsimile (fax) mode together in a single apparatus. Such a digital image forming apparatus is hereinafter referred to as a xe2x80x9ccombined machinexe2x80x9d.
Furthermore, the multi-function combined machine is capable of diverse processes for each mode. For example, among the above modes, as far as the copying mode is concerned, not only the facility of simply copying an image of an original document but also a variety of image editing facilities (modes) such as color conversion, image synthesis, image separation and image deletion have readily been attained.
Thus, multi-function electronic equipment has been realized, and a single apparatus can therefore contain the different facilities of more than one electronic devices. Accordingly, it is no longer necessary to purchase several different devices for the facilities, thereby reducing space to place the electronic devices.
When a user operates the electronic device thus having more than one facilities mounted thereon, there is a call for such operability as to allow each user to properly select a facility suited to his or her purposes, out of relatively large number of facilities.
Therefore, a general electronic device is provided with a control device for setting processing modes and various conditions with regard to the processing modes. The control device is made up of a display for displaying a plurality of facilities and conditions, and a controller, and by operating the controller which includes keys, buttons, etc., while watching the display, target facilities and conditions can appropriately be selected and set.
Further, the control devices for electronic devices frequently used today include a dual-purpose touch panel as a controller and a display. This touch panel displays setting options which are themselves controllable (selectable) keys, direct touch of which enables a user to select and set a desired facility. Consequently, in the case of a particular guided control such that a plurality of conditions are gradually selected and set item by item, the controllable keys can be displayed in the same area as required, thereby increasing operability when compared to an arrangement having a display and a controller separately provided.
Further, even when adopting the touch panel, the touch panel is more often used in combination with a normal controller (for example, a conventional controller having a plurality of keys) rather than used alone. Specifically, it can be arranged in such a manner that the normal keys are used to select modes or set conditions, as such controls are more preferably made by the normal keys, and the touch panel is used for the guided control as discussed above. By thus providing the touch panel and the normal key controller, and dividing controls between them depending on a type of control required, easier and safer control can be attained.
However, the multi-function electronic device poses a problem such as highly complicated operations in reality, because, when a user attempts to achieve an operation under a desired condition with a target mode, the user is required to select a proper mode or condition out of quite a large number of choices.
Particularly, when sharing an electronic device among a large number of unspecified users, it is often the case that, even if the device can be controlled through a controller while viewing the content of a display, a user of the less frequent use or a beginner user has no idea how to select a key from the display content, thereby greatly reducing operability or availability of the device.
Further, in an electronic device having a large number of facilities are provided a considerably large number of condition setting patterns. An attempt to fully grasp such condition setting patterns requires extensive experiences and skills, and therefore, only a skilled person can grasp most of the condition setting patterns. In this manner, it is the reality that the beginner user needs to ask a specialist how to operate the device, or operate the device by him/herself step by step with the help of a user""s manual, which, in either case, require complicated and time-consuming work, thus failing to sufficiently increase operability.
Therefore, for example, the recent commercial models of the electronic devices, in order to increase operability, include display control facilities for mounting or connecting a relatively large display device with respect to a control (display) section, and kindly guiding a user in obtaining information on operating procedures, with images and messages on the display. By thus including the display control facilities, a large amount of information such as images and messages related to operations can be displayed on a relatively large display section for guidance, thereby allowing a user to utilize a device with relief.
However, a problem arises when using a monochromatic display as a display screen in order to intelligibly display a large amount of guidance information on the large display, because there is a limit in attaining display in gray-scale representation alone, which prevents the intelligible display for guidance of all the diverse modes and facilities.
In order to solve the foregoing problems, the inventors of the present application have proposed an input device as shown below, which is disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 15400/1999 (Tokukaihei 11-15400 published on Jan. 22, 1999). This input device includes a liquid crystal display panel of a relatively large size which is mounted on a control panel. On the liquid crystal display panel, an external outline of a device and peripheral devices is displayed in a substantially central part thereof, while displaying information on the device on a periphery of the outline. In addition, when there is a change in the state of the device, necessary information for a user is displayed as information in the forms of images and messages on the liquid crystal display panel, and by successively changing these displays is offered guidance on operations.
With the foregoing device, the state of the device can intelligibly be displayed for guidance, thereby providing customers with commercial products of high operability. However, this device still has such problems that information for detailed display should be prepared in advance and that a huge amount of image information is provided for display. Further, a beginner may possibly be impressed such that information according to the monochromatic display alone is insufficient for his/her understanding, and moreover, it is likely that the beginner may hesitate to use the device itself.
Therefore, in the case of current image forming apparatuses such as a combined machine, by utilizing a color display device (a multi-color display device and a display control device) capable of display a plurality of colors, the display of guidance to operations intelligibly to a user.
For example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 143024/1998 (Tokukaihei 10-143024 published on May 29, 1998) discloses a technique of equipping a control display device which is mounted on a combined machine having a plurality of processing modes, with a display having LED backlight, and allowing the control display device to light a LED of a distinctive color for each operating mode so as to instantaneously grasp various operating modes.
However, the control display device of the above publication No. 10-143024 is arranged simply to change the display color in accordance with the processing mode. More specifically, in the foregoing device, it is easy to check the processing mode itself adopted in the current job in process; however, the problem is that information such as the presence of second and later standby jobs and information of processing modes related to such standby jobs cannot be checked.
Further, another prior art reference is, for example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 105001/1998 (Tokukaihei 10-105001 published on Apr. 24, 1998) which discloses a copy machine having a multi-job mode as shown below. This copy machine has a color display device and a program copying mode mounted thereon. Specifically, when programming, the color display device displays guidance to the content of the program copying mode with a color corresponding to each copying mode programmed.
However, in the copy machine disclosed in the Publication No. 10-105001, it is arranged simply to display the content of the program when programming another job during process of a predetermined job, and information on processing modes in relation to second and later standby jobs cannot readily be checked or grasped.
Further, a technique of increasing operability in electronic devices as discussed below is disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 205417/1987 (Tokukaisho 62-205417 published on Sep. 10, 1987). The publication discloses a digitizer for editing an image to be copied based on an original document to be set in a copy machine, which includes a mode information input section having more than one types of function keys provided thereon, and light emitting bodies each of which is disposed in a position corresponding to each function key. In addition, a sequential operation of the light emitting bodies in a display section enables a user to grasp as to which function key should be controlled next, thereby increasing operability.
However, the technique of the Publication No. 62-205417 merely indicates the sequence of operation of the function keys by the flashing of the light emitting bodies, and it is likely that a user may not be able to control the function keys while following the flashing speed of the light emitting bodies. Moreover, it is also the problem that the display section cannot clearly show information on the sequence of operation of the function keys. Consequently, the technique is not sufficient for intelligibly offering guidance to a user as to, for example, the operation of an electronic device which is an advanced multi-function device requiring complicated operations.
It is a first object of the present invention to provide a control device of electronic equipment capable of carrying out jobs according to a plurality of different processing modes, and of displaying information on a job currently in process and information on a job with a programmed processing in an intelligible state for a user.
Further, it is a second object of the present invention to provide a control device of electronic equipment which allows a user, who is not used to operations, to carry out a plurality of different processing modes, where the user can readily and properly operate various setting processes which are necessary in setting a processing mode.
In order to attain the first object, the control device of electronic equipment according to the present invention, which is capable of carrying out jobs according to a plurality of different processing modes, includes: information input means for inputting information on the jobs; and multi-color display means for displaying information on the jobs in a different color representing each processing mode, wherein the multi-color display means simultaneously displays information on a job currently in process and information on a job of a programmed processing in display colors each of which represents a processing mode for each job.
With the foregoing arrangement, the multi-color display means displays information on a job in a different color representing each corresponding processing mode, thereby enabling a user to promptly and properly check and recognize information on a processing mode, simply by looking at a display color on the multi-color display means.
Further, the multi-color display means is arranged to simultaneously display the information on a job currently in process and the information on a job of a programmed processing in display colors each of which represents a processing mode for each job, thereby enabling a user, in case where a new job according to a different processing mode is programmed while processing a certain job, to check not only information on the job currently in process but information on the new job such as the type of processing mode to be adopted in the new job. Namely, even when using electronic equipment capable of simultaneously processing a plurality of jobs, a user can readily check an operational status.
Further, in order to attain the second object, the control device of electronic equipment according to the present invention, which is capable of carrying out a plurality of different processing modes, includes: processing mode selection means for selecting a desired processing mode out of the plurality of processing modes; item selection means which are provided so as to correspond to a plurality of setting items to be set for the execution of the processing mode; and execution instructing means for instructing the device to carry out the processing mode, wherein the item selection means and the execution instructing means are adjacently disposed in the sequence of selection or execution instructing steps, and a display color of each means forms part of a sequential variation in hues.
With the foregoing arrangement, a disposition and a hue in a display color are set so as to correspond to the sequence of selection or execution instructing steps of the item setting means and the execution instructing means, thereby enabling a user to judge an obvious operational sequence in each step, thus, even when requiring complicated steps in the operation of electronic equipment, enabling a user to readily and surely operating the device.
Further, even when each of the plurality of processing modes contains a relatively large number of setting items, a user simply needs to operate the item setting means and the execution instructing means in the sequence of hues and dispositions in each processing mode. Accordingly, the user is no longer required to memorize details such as a dedicated operation to an individual processing mode, the names of setting items and a setting sequence, thereby enabling the user to readily operating multi-function electronic equipment.
As discussed, by thus providing the foregoing control device to electronic equipment, an operation of which tends to be complicated, any user can operate the equipment readily and surely. Therefore, for example, in such a case where a large number of users share a small number of electronic equipment, it is possible to solve problems which may be caused by a user taking time in the operation of the equipment, such as troubling other users and reducing availability.